karlin



E. KARLIN.

COMBINED SHOULDER BRACE AND ABDOMINAL SUPPORT.

ARPLICATXON FILED JUNE 10'. 1016.

1,303,330. Patented May13,1919..

0?: ME e A TTOHNE Y ESTER KAntIN, or New YORK, N. Y.

1 COMBINED SHOULDER-BRACE AND ABDOMINAL SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent. 13,

' Application filed June '10, 1916. Seria1No.102,842.

ToaZZ whom it may concern: 4

Be it known that I, ESTER KARLIN, a citizen of the United States, andresident .of New York, in the borough of the Bronx, county of the Bronx,city and State of-New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Combined Shoulder-Braces andAbdominal Supports, of whichthe fol lowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in a combined shoulder:brace and abdominal support, and hasfor its object to provide such adevice which may be worn to replace the corset, and while performing allof thefunctions of the corset, will have none of its harmful features.My improved garment is intended to provide an eflectual shoulder braceand an abdominal support, which will be healthful, washable,comfortable, free of staves at the front and sides, and capable ofsupporting and molding the body of thewearerl in such manner as to be inno way injurious. For these reasons my invention is especially suitablefor growing children, women athletically inclined, and as a maternitygarment. Another object of the invention is to providesuch a garmentwhich will dispense with lacing, and will retain its correct position onthe body, however strenuous the movements ofthe wearer may be, and inwhich the abdomen may be dependently supported from the waist line ofthe wearer and the back and shoulders supported and bracedin such manneras to givethe same a'healthful position and prevent strain thereon. t

A further object is to provide such a garment which will be adjustable,and of such simple and inexpensive construction as to be produced withcomparative economy. With; these and other objects in view, my inventionis shown in the accompanying drawings, and will hereinafter be morefully described with reference thereto and finally pointed out in theclaims. i

In the accompanying drawings u Figure 1 is a front view showing myi1nproved shoulderbrace and abdominal support as worn,"

Fig. 2 is a rear viewthereof, Fig. 3 is a sectional view takenimmediately above the waist line,

Fi 4; is a sectional view of the padded arm hand, a i i Fig. 5 isaperspective view of a slightly modified form of construction,particularly intended; as a maternity garment,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view thereof, taken immediately above the waistline, and i i Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a further modified form ofconstruction. i

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings. 1

Referringto the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to l thereof,my improved garment comprises a back engaging portion 10, havingfanatural conforming shape, contracted atthe waist line, and providedwitha plurality, andpreferably three, stays 11 extending lengthwise thereof,leav ing the extreme lower end, which is rounded as at 12 and the upperendunstiffened or flexible. The upper flexible end is enlarged as at 13andis provided with crossed reinforcing pieces 14 and 15, of graduallydecreasing width from the upper to the lower position i and constitutinga laterally dis.- posed non-yieldable shoulder engaging band extendingateach side of thespine, and engaging the scapulae of the wearer. Theupper ends of the said reinforcin g pieces are provided respectivelywith elastic bands 16 and '17 to which are secured padded arm bands 18and 19, adapted to be secured at their extremities to buckles 20 and 21pro vided at the lower endsof the reinforcing pieces 14am 15. The bands16and 17 and the shoulderband exert a substantially lateral and rearwardbracing effect upon the shoulders. i v The said padded arm bands areformed from two pieces of material18- and 18 as clearly shown in Fig.4E, sewed in" such man ner as to present a smooth exterior surface, thepadding l9 being sewedinso as to retain its shape andbe free of lumps.

At the lowerhalf or rear hip engaging portion ofthe back engagingportion 10, and secured along eaclrstraiglit edge Tare providedhipengaging portions22 and 23, hav ing arched lower edges, andto theseportions are secured side abdominal engaging 29 extends along the upperedges of the portions 22, 23, 24, 25- and 26, and exteriorly across theback engaging portion, being secured at its lower edge to the saidportions 22, 23, 24, and 26, and being free at the said back engagingportion, as clearly indicated in Figs 2 and 3, and adapted to cirwhichsafety pins 31 and 32 are provided.

In Figs; 5 and 6 I have shown a slightly modified form of construction,particularly intended as a maternity. garment. This constructionconsists of a back engaging portion 40,.and arm bands 41 and 42 similarin construction to the first form of my invention, with the exceptionthat the back engaging. portion is preferably only provided with twostays; At one side of the back engaging portion there is provided a hipengaging portion 43, and at the other side there is provided a hip andside abdominal engaging portion 44 to the forward edgeof whlch issecured a'front portion 45, to which there is inturn secured a sideabdominal-engagingportion 46; Button holes 47 are provided along thefree end of the portion 46, which are'adapted to be engaged by buttons48, provided along the free end of the portion 43; A non-elastic tape orband 49is; secured to the upper edge'of the elastic, or non-e portions43, 44, 45 and 46, extending unattached across the back engaging portion40, as clearly indicated in Fig. 6. Hose supporters 5O are-providedalong the lower edge of the abdominal support, which may be securedto'the hosiery in the usual manner. In order to effectually support theweight of the abdomen, bands 51 and 52 are'provided on the arm bandswhich connect respectivelywith buckles 53 and 54 at each side of the"front portion 45.

A band 55' is provided interiorly of the abdominal support which may beeither astic, inwhich caseit is secured to a" buckle'56', as shown inFig. 6 to permitofits adjustment. Gusset plaits' 57 and 58 are rovidedin the front portion 45 of the ab ominal'band, to make thesameconforming',-a'nd adjusting pl'aits 59 and 60 are arranged" preferablyin" the portions" 44 and'46, which may be taken in, or let out asdesired. The lower edge of the hip and abdomen engaging portions islaterally disposed and substantially parallel with the waist band. InFig. 7 I have shown a further modified form of construction, in whichthe abdominal band is made detachable from 70 the back engaging portionwhich is similar to that shown in Fig. 5. A plurality of transverselydisposed tapes 61 are secured at the waist line of the back engagingportion 62, at the ends of which buckles 67 are provided.

The abdominal support 63 is made in a plurality of sections, and isprovided alon the upper edge with a band 64. At each end there areprovided a plurality of tapes 65 which may be adjustably secured to thebuckles 67 at each side of the back engaging portion. Hose supporters 66are provided at the lower edge of the abdominal support. Buckles 70 areprovided at the upper edge of the abdominal support for engagement withthe tapes 71 and 72 suspended from the arm bands 73 and 74, which aresimilar to those shown in Fig. 5.

With my improvements, a garment is provided particularly suited for theneeds of the modern day woman, its characteristics of hygiene andcomfort making the same well suited to its purposes. The combined effectof the shoulder brace, the fixed positioning of the abdominal band bymeans of the back engaging portion and the elastic band, and thedownwardly pulling effect of the hose supporters, result in theproducing of a correct posture, without harm to the body, or discomfortto the wearer.

The garment may be worn by growing children to great advantage,preventing stoop shoulders, correctly supporting the body, anddispensing with the necessity of 5 band garters, brassieres or othersuch apparel, which are recognized as harmful to the undeveloped body ofa child. The second form of my invention, intended especially as amaternity garment adapts itself 110 suitably to all of the conditionsrequired.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory form of myinvention, but it is obvious that changes may be made therein within thespirit and scope 5 thereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Ina garment of the character described, an elongated back membercomprisin a shoulder blade engaging portion, a rear hip 120 engagingportion, and an intermediate spine engaging portion provided with corsetstays, adjustable arm bands connected at their upper ends with the upperextremity of said shoulder blade engaging portion, adapted to 125 passforward over the shoulders and back- Ward under the arms and connectedat their lower ends with said back member at points in line with saidblade engaging portion thereof, said shoulder blade engaging por 180tion and arm bands being adapted to exert a substantial lateral andrearward bracing effect upon the shoulders of the wearer toward thecentral spine engaging portion, a waist band extending forward from thewaist line of said stayed back member, and hip and abdomen engagingportions extending forward from opposite sides of the lower portion ofthe said back member and secured at their upper edges to said waistband.

2. In a garment of the character described,

an elongated back member having a shoulder blade engaging portion,diagonal reinforcing crossing straps secured to said elongated back atthe top thereof and having lateral terminals in line with the bladeengaging portion of said back, and adjustable arm bands connected attheir upper ends with the upper extremity of said shoulder bladeengaging portion, adapted to pass forward over the shoulders andbackward under the arms and connected at their lower ends with saidlateral terminals in line with said blade engaging portion thereof, saidshoulder blade engaging portion and armv bands being adapted to exert asubstantial lateral and rearward bracing effect upon the shoulders ofthe wearer toward the central spine engaging portion.

3. In a garment of the character described, a back engaging portionextending for a relatively long distance above and below the waist line,arm bands at the upper part of said back engaging portion adapted toextend over the shoulders and beneath the arms of the wearer, a bandextending forwardly from the waist line of said back engaging portionand extending unattached across the waist line of said back engagingportion, and adapted to engage the waist line of the wearer immediatelybeneath the ribs, and an abdominal support extending forwardly from eachside of said back engaging portion below the waist line, and secured atits upper edge to said waist engaging band, said waist engaging bandbeing contracted with respect to said abdominal support to form acircumferential support for said abdominal support for dependentlysupporting the same from the waist line of the wearer.

4. In a garment of the character described, a back engaging portionextending for a relatively long distance above and below the waist line,arm bands at the upper part of said back engaging portion adapted toextend over the shoulders and beneath the arms of the wearer, a waistband extending'forwardly from the waist line of said back engagingportion, an abdominal support extending forwardly from each side of saidback engaging portion below the waist line and secured at its upper edgeto said waist band, said waist band being contracted with respect tosaid abdominal support, and ad justable strap members connecting saidarm bands and said abdominal support.

5. In a garment of the character described, a one piece back engagingportion extending for a relatively long distance above and be low thewaist line, arm bands at the upper part of said back engaging portionadapted to extend over the shoulders and beneath the arms of the wearer,and having their ends attached in spaced relation to said back engagingportion, shoulder engaging straps extending in crossed relation from therespective upper ends of said arm bands to the opposed respective lowerends thereof, a waist band extending forwardly from the waist line ofsaid back engaging portion, an abdominal support extending forwardlyfrom each side of said back engaging portion 'below the waist line andsecured at its upper edge to said waist band. 1

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WW ESTER KARLIN. Witnesses D. LEWIS MATTERN, Mon M. Warmers,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latents,

Washington, D. 0. 1

